If you are hoping that the Apple iPhone 8 will trade the Lightning connector for the regular USB C connection, you are in for a disappointment.
Apple has been using its proprietary connectors since day one and nothing seems to be changing in this regard.
Apple Not Ditching Lightning
Earlier, there were some rumors claiming that Apple is considering ditching its proprietary Lightning connectors and opting for the USB C in case of the iPhone 8. USB C is now being seen in several Android devices and also in PCs. The rumors first started doing the rounds when it was published in the Wall Street Journal that some anonymous sources had claimed that Apple was considering such a move. The move was mentioned in the middle of a bigger story regarding the Apple iPhone 8, concerning curved OLED screen displays for the iPhone 8 coming in 2017.
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Far fetched/Misleading
If you are a close follower of the Apple business models, it will be clear to you that the news is rather far fetched. It doesn’t seem likely that Apple will ditch its Lightning Connectors for the USB C. It is more likely that Apple will select the inclusion of the USB C to Lightning cables for the iPhone 8, along with a wall adapter for the USB C. However, it is not sure whether this new cable will be an additional one or will be a replacement of the regular USB A to Lightning cables that come in iOS devices currently.
USB C to Lightning Cables
Apple is already selling such a cable for around $19 in the United States. It does not come included with the MacBook or the MacBook Pro 12 inches notebooks. Both these devices come with the USB C Thunderbolt 3 ports and do not have the regular USB A port.
No Comments
Apple has not responded with any comments to the request by CNET regarding this story. However, there is another news from Ming Chi Kuo, a KGI Securities Analyst, regarding the USB C and Lightning connectors story. Ming Chi Kuo has an excellent record as far as predictions regarding Apple are concerned.
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Lightning Here to Stay
MacRumors states that Kuo claims that all the three iPhone devices that are to be launched this year will continue having the Lightning connectors. They will also come with an additional USB C Power Delivery, offering quicker charging features. There will be a new OLED model as well, coming with a bigger battery that is L shaped, along with updated models of 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches.
In short, this means that the USB C could be present in the iPhone 8 devices, but the Lightning Connectors continue to play a big part. Hence, it is not going to be one or the other. Kuo has also backed his claim stating that Apple might prefer to continue the MFi program, or Made for iPhone, program, as it gets royalty from each licensed Lightning cable. Apple has also put the Lightning connectors in two of the latest top accessories, namely the BeatsX and the AirPods headphones. If it were planning to move to the USB C, why would it do this?